Brain Learns: Content Development

In a society where surpluses of information are constantly controlling the functions of the brain, do humans have the resistance to be the rulers of territory vaster than the Roman Empire? Divided like continents on a map, the zones of the brain must be understood to conquer them. The brain plays a critical role of controlling visual and auditory reflexes, the nervous system, and memories, creating a dire need to understand its functions to prevent an invasion from outside sources. Outside sources that we either consciously or unconsciously absorb hinders the control of the brain and its functions.
Conquering the vast lands of the mind war tactics, such as understanding how the brain works. The learning process alters the brain, which studies …show more content…
Absorbing the most information strengthens the mind and allows for the establishment of values. Donald J. Ford in How the Brain Learns: Content Development, discusses how relying on past experiences and outdated information decreases power of the mind, “As we age and gain more experience, we tend to rely too much on our past knowledge. We may miss or even reject novel information that does not agree with previous memories” (Donald J. Ford). Compare a strong-willed person - someone we categorize as exercising independence and free will - to a weaker person, we notice that the stronger person logically and consistently pursue his or her values. Educating oneself on the tactics of outsiders creates resistance to a takeover. For instance, enlightening oneself about the persuasive tactics the media wields allows the mind to deflect manipulation. Maya Cueva discussed in her article, This Is Your Brain On Ads: An Internal 'Battle,' how the media has an effect that many may not be aware of,"When you're watching ads, and so forth, you're kind of passively watching it, but your brain is responding to it. So it's not always conscious.” Manipulating every source available and sticking to values leads to the most control of the mind. For example, Maya Cueva’s research recognized the knowledge that dieters have of junk food and their value to stay healthy allows them to resist unhealthy foods, “A certain region of the brain lit up when the dieters resisted junk food. Hayden says that self-control region is in a tug of war with the parts of the brain affected by ads.” Being educated from every viewpoint and sticking to established values allows for the conquering of the vast lands of the